Mercedes-Benz India was the first luxury car maker to launch an all-electric car in the country last year. The company launched the EQC just under Rs. 1 crore and in phase 1, it was sold in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bengaluru, but customers in other cities could also buy it and book the vehicle online. The company has sold out the first order of cars that came to the country which shows how well the EQC has been received in the country. Speaking to carandbike Martin Schwenk, MD & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, said, "The EQC has done very well in India and it has generated a lot of interest amongst customers. We have sold the cars we had in our initial orders. We are now replenishing the cars and have the bookings opened again."
The EQC is based on the same platform as the GLC
While this spells great news as far as India's acceptance to EVs is concerned, it also shows that there are takers for EVs in the luxury space. This is also one reason why Audi is looking to bring in the e-tron to the country this year itself. Now, while Schwenk did mention that the bookings will be opened again, that did not mean the bookings for the EQC have been shut. We confirmed with Schwenk about this and he said, "The bookings for the EQC are open but we just don't have the cars. We expect now in February or March for deliveries to resume."
Given the success of the EQC, the company is likely to get the EQS to India too
The new Mercedes-Benz EQC is based on the same platform as the company's mid-size SUV GLC, and thus it comes with a similar silhouette. However, styling wise, the EQC looks a lot different compared to any other Mercedes SUV. The EQC gets two electric motors, with each positioned at the front and rear axles, helping the SUV with an all-wheel-drive configuration. Powering the electric motors is an 80kW lithium-ion battery unit that can provide a driving range of 450 - 471 km per when fully charged. The electric motors generate a cumulative power of 402 bhp along with 765 Nm of peak torque, and it propels the SUV to do a 0-100 kmph sprint in merely 5.1 seconds, before reaching an electronically limited top speed of 180 kmph.
